This Badfinger live CD was resurrected from Mike Gibbins´ personal collection. The gig was recorded on a consumer cassette recorder and has recently been cleaned for posterity. Kevin McElligott at the Audio Department has made a great effort in the clean up process. This was one the last tours ever that Tommy Evans took to the stage before passing away in late 1983. Actually this performance is from late 1982, though the cover tells 1983.Badfinger was then:
Tommy Evans, Mike Gibbins, Bob Jackson, Reed Kailing and Donny Dacus.

This live album is obviously made for Badfinger fans. Though the sound quality is much better than om the tape versions of the show that many fans have in their collections; this is not the place to start if you´re a newcomer to Badfinger world. I would recommend "Live on The BBC" if you want to hear Badfinger live at their best. This is not a bad performance - on the contrary. The band sounds like it´s inspired and in top-form; but the sound may be a problem if you´re not into Badfinger already.

The opening track "Sooner or Later" is a great lost gem, probably written by Tom Evans. It´s a great song and a perfect opener. Hopefully a studio version of the song will appear. The band continue with fine versions of well-known songs like "Come and Get It", "Hold On", "Day After Day" and "Midnight Sun". Them Reed Kailing presents the band to the audience.
They continue with a great inspired version of "Suitcase" where the guitarists really show their great skills. After that Bob Jackson takes over with a heartfelt version of his song dedicated to Pete Ham "I Won´t Forget You". First set ends with Tom Evans´ Come On; a song which clearly works better here that on the album "Say No More"

Second set opens with solid versions of "Rock´n Roll Contract", "Look Out California", "Baby Blue", "Without You" before the next next song appears. "Rock´n Roll Me Over" written by Reed Kailing is another perfect song for a live-performance. "Crocadillo" like "Come On" work much better live than on the studio album. "I Got You" and a bit flat version of "Back in The USSR" come next. Before the finale with great versions of "Long Tall Sally" and "Money". The vocals on "Sally" are impressing; like McCartney in his prime, and the guitars sound perfect on "Money". I wish I´d been there.

A shame this version of Badfinger never made it into the recording studio. No doubt the songs would have been there. "Sooner or Later", "I Won´t Forget You", "Rock´n Roll Me Over"; songs from The Tom Evans CD "Over You" like "You And I", "Lay Down", "Love Inside You", "Waited So Long", together with Bob´s "I´ve Seen a New Day" would have been obvious choices for an album. I also would have like to have heard a studio version of "Money" - perhaps as a closing track.